Agatha Ainsley-Swann had been a widow for fifteen years. She had been her husband's doorway into Society, being of significantly higher station than he, but he was rich. Even though he'd had the ill fortune to earn his fortune in trade instead of inheriting it like a respectable person does, her family had considered Horace Ainsley a good match. Horace had been only too glad to add the "Swann" to his name for the sake of the doors it opened for him in Society.

Agatha's niece had written over a year ago with the sad news of Weatherby Swann's death. Agatha had stayed in London for a while, typing up loose ends, letting the house and arranging her will, and then had set sail for the Caribbean to join little Elizabeth.

She had been putting off such a move for months, fearing the dangers of travel on the high seas-but a few months before, she had been robbed by a highwayman right in the center of London! At that point she decided she had nothing to lose by going. Elizabeth might need her.

Not to mention that the robbery was the most exciting thing to happen to her in decades, and she rather thought she ought to get out of London before she got too old for travel and excitement at all. So she had come to Port Royale, but had not found Elizabeth. She heard wild rumors and stories of her niece's whereabouts and activities—getting engaged to a blacksmith's apprentice, of all things, and then worse, getting arrested for piracy! Agatha put little stock in the rumors she heard, but secretly she knew that Elizabeth's real story would very likely be almost as interesting. Elizabeth rarely went looking for trouble, but Agatha knew that from the time her niece was a little girl, she was just the sort of person that things happened to.

At any rate, she resolved to stay in Port Royale until she got word of her niece. She had found a house, hired a staff, and was enjoying the tropical climate of Jamaica exceedingly, after a lifetime of cold, grey drizzle in England. The change in climate had made her feel younger than her 65 years, and she had made friends with both the new governor of Port Royale, and with the commander of the fort, Commodore Eustace Gilbert. Commodore Gilbert was an older man with a shock of silver hair and a demeanor that made you think he had once led a more exciting life than his current situation would indicate. Still, he was handsome and charming, and she enjoyed his company—along with the governor and his wife's—every Thursday evening for cards.

This particular Thursday, their card game was interrupted by the butler. He cleared his throat gently. "Pardon the intrusion, madam, but there is a... young… person... at the door who gave me this note for you. He said it was extremely urgent." He held out a silver letter tray that was currently contaminated by a crumpled, stained bit of parchment.

Agatha smoothed out the note with a frown. "Pray excuse me," she said to her guests, and went out into the hallway to read it.

Dear Aunt Agatha,

I hope you are well, and I am sorry for not being able to see you in Port Royale. This is the first chance I have had to get word to you safely. I need your help, if you could see fit to accompany the bearer of this letter on a short journey by sea. He'll wait for you by the door. You will be perfectly safe, but if you tell anyone you heard from me, I may not be. Please hurry, dear aunt! I can't wait to see you.

All my love,

Elizabeth

Agatha's hand flew to her heart. Elizabeth, in danger? She lifted her chin, called the butler back, and returned to the drawing room.

"I beg your forgiveness, friends, but a matter has arisen which requires my immediate attention," she told her guests. "Feel free to stay and complete the game, but I must go. I hope to return soon with good news!"

With that, she ducked back out and explained to the butler that she would have to take a short trip. If she was gone longer than a week, he was to close the house and only keep a skeleton staff. She directed him to have the bearer of the note wait for her. Then she ran up the stairs calling for her ladies' maid. With her help, Agatha slipped on a comfortable travel dress, threw some more clothes into a bag, and put on some walking shoes.

Then she was ready. Not 15 minutes after getting the note, she was slipping quietly out the side door to meet this curious person that her butler had mentioned. He was young, a sailor by the look of him. Small and slight, and he wore his hair in a long queue hanging down in back. He looked to be about 16 or 17.

"'Ello, missus," he greeted her, touching his hat respectfully.

"Please, will you take me to my niece? Is she all right?" Agatha asked.

"Right as rain, but it's best not to linger 'ere, missus. Come wiv me an' you'll see 'er soon!"

The lad lead her through darkened streets and alleys toward the docks. He helped her get into a longboat, tossing her bag to the long-haired man who was sitting there waiting for them. The boy untied the boat and pushed off from the dock, and the long-haired man started rowing.

"Who are you people?" Agatha asked them both.

"Hush, ma'am. Best not to talk here," the man replied softly, breathless with the effort of the rowing. "Sound carries over water."

"We'll make all the introductions when we get to the ship," the boy said to Agatha quietly.

"Any problems?" the rowing man asked the boy in a low voice.

"None. I gave the lady 'er niece's note and she came right down," the boy replied with a note of—was that triumph in his voice?

The rowing man grunted, seeming a little sour. "I could've done that."

"We made a deal," the boy replied. "Now hurry up, will you? Need any help rowing?"

"Not from you," the man replied sourly. Agatha got the impression that the rowing man was glaring at the boy in the dark. They must be brothers, she thought, remembering with a sad smile how she and Weatherby used to argue.

Agatha could begin to see the dark outline of the ship they were heading towards. "Is that where my niece is?"

The boy nodded. "She lives on another island near here, but she traveled on this ship to meet you." The other man said nothing, but showed his glittering gold teeth in a grin. Agatha shuddered—he seemed a little sinister, somehow, even as he reminded her of someone she couldn't place.

There were people waiting for them at the ship. One bluff, hearty voice called down, "I'm lowering a rope, ma'am—just you put your foot in the loop and hold on tight, and we'll pull you up in a trice. Save you having to climb up the side, see?"

Agatha did see, and was grateful; she doubted she could have made it up the side in her skirts.

The boy and the man climbed up quickly, but the boy stopped at the top and leaned against the railing, panting. The long-haired man stopped and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, and said something that Agatha couldn't hear. The lad nodded.

"Mrs Ainsley-Swann, welcome aboard," the hearty-sounding man said with a smile, helping her disentangle herself from the rope.

The long-haired man who had rowed the boat handed him Agatha's bag and spoke. "Madam, I know you want to see your niece, and you shall—tomorrow morning. She's been unwell, and she needs her sleep. As, no doubt, do you. Mr Gibbs, will you show the lady to her cabin? Good night, ma'am." The captain disappeared with the boy, leaving Agatha behind on the deck with the friendly, bewhiskered man who had hauled her up from the boat.

"Aye, Captain," Mr Gibbs said to the captain's departing back, holding Agatha's bag over his shoulder. "Right this way, ma'am. I'm Joshamee Gibbs, the first mate. 'Tis my cabin you'll be using, so if you need anything, you be sure and let me know."

"I thank you, Mr Gibbs, for both your kindness and your hospitality," she replied sweetly. She could have sworn he actually blushed a little in the dim light of the lantern he held. "That man—I think he is the captain?—said my niece has been unwell?"

"Aye, but she's much improved. I daresay she'll be very glad to see you at breakfast."

Agatha smiled. The mate opened the door of his cabin, a small, utilitarian room, and nodded to her. "We're running dark at the moment," he explained apologetically, "So you'll just have a candle tonight. If you need anything, just come out on deck and tell whoever's on watch to come find me."

Agatha thanked him sincerely, bid him good night, and went straight to bed.

Jack had done all of the rowing, but he could see the trip had still taken it out of Elizabeth. As soon as she reached the deck, she had to lean against the side to keep from falling. He put his hand on her shoulder and spoke to her quietly so that her aunt wouldn't hear. "You go straight to bed, love. See her tomorrow."

Too tired to argue, Elizabeth only nodded. Jack sent her aunt away with Mr. Gibbs and walked Elizabeth back to his cabin.

"Need help undressing?" he asked, for once not sounding flirtatious, but serious.

Elizabeth took it as such. "Boots," she said, collapsing on his bed. Jack pulled off her boots for her and, when she made no further move, reached over and undid the flies of her breeches.

"Pull 'em off or I will," he warned. Elizabeth didn't budge, so Jack closed his eyes and pulled them off her. Her shirt was a typical sailor's shirt, and it came halfway down to her knees. Jack opened one eye with trepidation, but the shirt covered her nether regions and he sighed in relief... and a little bit of disappointment as he opened his other eye.

"Come on, love, off with the waistcoat," he encouraged. "And just because I'm a generous man, I'll let you sleep in the shirt."

"Thanks ever so," came her faint but sarcastic reply as he pulled her arms out of the waistcoat, and he grinned.

"There, now," he said softly, pulling the blankets up over her. "Your baby is fine, and your aunt is safely on board, and you'll see her in the morning. Sleep well, darling."

She mumbled an incoherent reply and he chuckled. He ducked back out long enough to make sure that Cotton had the ship pointed towards New Flimwell, then he came back in and stripped down for bed himself. He climbed into his hammock on the other side of the room and promptly fell asleep.

Note: Two points to anyone who recognizes Aunt Agatha! Also, please remember to review-it's the only way I know anyone is even reading this! Many thanks to the people who have commented already. You have no idea how much I appreciate it, especially because reviews seem to be so scarce in this fandom. I have written fanfic for 9 other fandoms, and their fans tend to be much more vocal. So if you like this or hate it, please let me know and tell me why. Thank you!